The all-new geography quiz

[chrissy]

Sorry Jay200MPH it isn't Vegas. :)

Sorry ciderman it isn't in Greece nor Greek. :)

ggremlin you were so close then decided to talk yourself out of it. ;)

crosscountry and hhEb09'1 it is a photo I had it in a plastic sleeve to protect it from damage, hence the crease, as this place is important to my father, I will give you a clue, it is mountains behind and try looking in a different continent, to all what has been said .;)

[chrissy]

and it is a white wall at the back, no water ok. :)

[Fledermaus]

I know where it is but that would be sort of cheating! LoL!

[chrissy]

yes it would lil sis!

[Fledermaus]

:silenced: OK

[crosscountry]

how about South America?

[chrissy]

no sorry cc.:)

[Maksutov]

It's in Borneo. It's the Sandakan Malaysia Death March memorial.

Another horrific episode in the South Pacific during WWII which tends to get overlooked by many.


Good post, chrissy, and good of you to help keep this from being forgotten. Thank you.

[chrissy]

that is correct Mak well done heres a link for you to read :

http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/03/23/borneo.2.t_0.php

Borneo Death March /Of 2,700 Prisoners, 6 Survived

[hhEb09'1]

that is correct Mak well done heres a link for you to read :
shiver
And some of the most horrible secrets of the Sandakan death march will die with him.

"I don't intend to tell anybody what actually happened," he said. "I won't talk about atrocities because I don't reckon it's right.

[geonuc]

"Discussion of the Sandakan Death March, as it is known, has been largely confined to Australia, where it has been called that country's worst military tragedy."

Yikes! If it rates as being worse than Gallipoli, that is bad.

[chrissy]

It is sad, all of the 900 British prisoners of war were killed.

[Maksutov]

Very, very sobering. May we never forget history, no matter how inconvenient for some that history is.





...back to the quiz.

What is this and where is it?

8141

[pghnative]

Very, very sobering. May we never forget history, no matter how inconvenient for some that history is.





...back to the quiz.

What is this and where is it?

8141The Old Man in the Mountain, New Hampshire USA

Perhaps you should have also asked "when (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain#Collapse)".

[Maksutov]

The Old Man in the Mountain, New Hampshire USA

Perhaps you should have also asked "when (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain#Collapse)".Close but no cigar.

[pghnative]

rats...

[pghnative]

I should have noticed that the trees didn't match. (That is, the presence of trees in your photo didn't match the lack of trees in OMOTM.

[chrissy]

I think I know what it is

[chrissy]

could it be this one by any chance?

http://www.williammartin.com/photo/displayimage.php?album=93&pos=1

Indian head mountain

Lincoln NH

[Maksutov]

That's the one. AKA Mt. Pemigewassett. Nice profile, and better, a short hike to some spectacular views.

Good job, chrissy! :clap:

Over to you...

[chrissy]

where is this and what is the name of the building?

[crosscountry]

Myanmar?

[Eroica]

It looks to me like an early Christian church: Turkey?

[chrissy]

sorry CC it's not the right answer!

Eroica it's not Turkey, but close about the church.

[crosscountry]

Then maybe Spain?

[chrissy]

sorry no CC.
here is a different view of it:

[JMV]

Is it the Church of Saint Jovan Kaneo on the shore of Lake Ohrid in Macedonia?

[chrissy]

:clap::clap::clap::dance::dance::dance: yeah!
that is correct JMV your go.

[JMV]

Thanks.

Nemorensis Lacus, Larius Lacus, Albanus Lacus and Lacus Volsinii. Which one doesn't belong and why?

[chrissy]

is it Larius Lacus because it is a glacial lake, where as the others are crater lakes?

[JMV]

Correct! :)

Your turn, chrissy.

[chrissy]

thanks JMV

[chrissy]

what is the name of this bay and where is it?

[chrissy]

here it is again in jpeg for you guys.

[Maksutov]

That's Lituya Bay in Alaska, where during 1958 there was a huge landslide and tsunami.

[chrissy]

:clap::clap::clap: that is correct Mak, your go.

[pghnative]

Mak, -- looks like we're waiting for you...

[chrissy]

where is this and name the bridge?

[crosscountry]

where is this and name the bridge?


I cheated (http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-30-24?ffid=11-30-24)

[ToSeek]

I cheated (http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-30-24?ffid=11-30-24)

Fine - stick me with a moral dilemma in Chrissy's absence. Anyhow, it's your turn if you think that counts.

[crosscountry]

I don't want to rule in my own favor. I think if you can get it without going to that website they you deserve to ask the next question.

[hhEb09'1]

Speaking of moral dilemmas, I must be so dissolute that I don't even recognize cheating when it's slapped in my face. It's certainly appears to be the right answer.

I'd say it was your go, crosscountry :)

[crosscountry]

well, it's the right answer, but I didn't use geography to solve the riddle.

ok, to keep this thing going:



this town in Eastern Europe used to belong to the largest empire, one that stretched from the Black to the Baltic sea. Today it belongs to one of the smaller countries in that area. It requires no visa to get there, but within 5 miles (approx) you'll be lucky to get one.

[Eroica]

Vilnius?

[crosscountry]

right country.

[Arneb]

Klaipeda (Memel)?

[pghnative]

right country.I think we may need more hints, else this just becomes an exercise in finding Lithuanian towns near the borders. Perhaps a pun on the name?

[crosscountry]

sorry for the delay, I was road-tripping from Detroit to Austin this week. I'm terrible with puns and can't think of a lyric right now that matches this town. So a hint



This town is famous for baths and spas.


I think that will get the answer right quickly.

[pghnative]

Birstonas?

[crosscountry]

nope


maybe just spas.

[pghnative]

Druskininkai?

[Arneb]

Nida, on the Kuronian Spit (after all, Thomas Mann had his summerhouse there).

[ginnie]

kaunas

[crosscountry]

Druskininkai?

that's it:clap:

[pghnative]

This one should be easy: Name the highest mountain on Earth.

[ginnie]

Above sea level? Everest.

Name the oldest city in North America.

[pghnative]

Everest.
Nope!

I'm using a slightly different definition for "highest". Different, but not totally ludicrous.:)

[crosscountry]

Mauna Kea

[hhEb09'1]

I'm using a slightly different definition for "highest". Different, but not totally ludicrous.:)Chimborazo, in Equador, because it is farthest from the Earth's center?

[pghnative]

Chimborazo, in Equador, because it is farthest from the Earth's center?That's the definition I had in mind. Your turn.

[hhEb09'1]

Have we asked this before? What county in the USA shares its boundary with the most other counties?

[Arneb]

I'll offer this one (http://www.howderfamily.com/blog/?p=83), San Juan county in Utah, with 14 neighbouring counties in three states. It also has the distinction to lie at (to my knowledge) the world's only four-way border.

[hhEb09'1]

That's the one I had in mind! You're up.

PS: but I would've said in four states :)

[Arneb]

I meant three neighbouring states. :shifty:

The little island you are looking for is only very thinly populated and lies is in the desert belt of the region. Fittingly, it was almost totally deforested only a 100 years ago due to industrial salt production (the wood having been burnt for fuel), and villages began to be threatened by sandstorms. The forests have been restored since.

Still, it is on the way up - literally. It lifts by a quarter inch per year, and if you compare its appearance and map outline on Google Earth, you will see a most striking difference (less so on Google Maps - the image is older). A whale skeleton only a few thousand years old was found right in the middle of the island, giving testament to the rapid emergence of the thing.

[Arneb]

No takers? Not even one moderator interested? Hmmm, hint time.

The name has to do with wind.

[pghnative]

I guess that excludes "Salt Island"

[crosscountry]

No takers? Not even one moderator interested? Hmmm, hint time.

The name has to do with wind.


is this island near the Asian continent?

[Arneb]

Well, "near" would be an exageration. But the hemisphere's right. :)

[crosscountry]

you going east/west or north/south?

[Arneb]

Oh it's even right for two hemispheres :wall:
Northern, and Eastern :)

Gentlemen, we have a quadrant.

[Arneb]

Two hints: The mention of "one moderator" was a hint.
The name has to do not only with wind but with a God of wind.

Also, I'll rephrase the question slightly for clarity_



The little island you are looking for is only very thinly populated and lies is in the desert belt of the region. Fittingly, it was almost totally deforested only a 100 years ago due to industrial salt production (the wood having been burnt for fuel), and villages began to be threatened by sandstorms. The forests have been restored since.

Still, it is on the way up - literally. It lifts by a quarter inch per year, and if on Google Earth you compare its appearance in the satellite image with its map outline, you will see a most striking difference (less so on Google Maps - the image is older). A whale skeleton only a few thousand years old was found right in the middle of the island, giving testament to the rapid emergence of the thing.

[crosscountry]

do you know how many wind gods (http://www.windlegends.org/windgods.htm) there are?

[Arneb]

Funny, I didn't. :o And the one I am talking about isn't even on the list. :lol:

[crosscountry]

that makes it difficult.

[pghnative]

Also, I'll rephrase the question slightly for clarity_
I'm more confused by the concept of "an island lying in the desert belt of the region". My first though is an island in the ocean. (An ocean in a desert belt?) 2nd thought is an island in a lake in a desert? (A lake in a desert??)

Also confused by a forest on said island in said desert. (A forest in a desert???)

[geonuc]

This is a good one. My search keeps leading me to Iran. There's Lake Urmia to the west of Tabriz and Daryacheh-ye Tashk to the east of Shiraz. Both are very interesting, particularly Daryacheh-ye Tashk, but I could find nothing on an island literally uplifting.

(Iran's geology is just astounding in Google Earth. I could look at it for hours.)

[Arneb]

I appreciate your zeal, but I'd like to point out that my answer to the "near the Asian continent" was such that I wouldn't look for places obviously in Asia.

Forest and desert belt go well with each other (in this case). Maybe you should think of desert belt as written with a hint of inverted commas :whistle:

[geonuc]

I appreciate your zeal, but I'd like to point out that my answer to the "near the Asian continent" was such that I wouldn't look for places obviously in Asia.

Forest and desert belt got well with each other (in this case). Maybe you should think of desert belt as written with a hint of inverted commas :whistle:
Oops. I missed that. :doh:

[geonuc]

Now that you're back, chrissy, please figure out this question. :)

[chrissy]

will try my friend. ;)

[chrissy]

I will plump for Año Nuevo Island! :)

[chrissy]

come on, need to know if this is the right answer!

[geonuc]

Me too.

[Arneb]

Sorry folks, I was away.

It is not the right answer. If you mean Ano Nuevo Island off San Francisco, I'd like to point out that we already had located the island to the Northern/Eastern quadrant of the Earth.

That, the fuzzy business about being "not really close" to Asia, and the moderator hint should help you a lot, I would think.

[chrissy]

Then I will go for MANTIANA

(a mountainous region along the western border of current-day Iran, where it meets Turkey and Iraq. East of Lake Van, west of Lake Urmia.)

[mike alexander]

Is the rise due to postglacial isostatic rebound?

[chrissy]

or it could be SIMLA HILLS, NORTHERN INDIA at the foothills of Himalayan mountains, Telhys sea.

[Arneb]

chrissy - please read my answers again. Both your suggestions are in Asia, and I wrote (twice) that it would be an "exaggeration" to even place our island "near" Asia.

mike alexander - yes :)

[mike alexander]

Everybody look for an island covered in the last ice age!

[Arneb]

Not quite. Remember the whale skeleton! ;)

[chrissy]

they have been found everywhere man!!!!!! :(

[chrissy]

Northeastern Devon Island

[Arneb]

No. I was talking of a small island with villages. Devon is the largest uninhabited island of the world.

And note my words of one island (not part of one) with one notable whale skeleton from almost historical times in the middle of the island. So... Hardly :)

[mike alexander]

Don't know about whales, but how about Orkney?

[Arneb]

Closer than anything we've had so far; but keep in mind that the uplift of the island has led to a strikingly perceptible difference between the map image of the island and its actual satellite image - i.e., we are in much shallower waters. :)

[Eroica]

Closer than anything we've had so far...
Orkney is in the North-Eastern quadrant of the world! :surprised

[mike alexander]

OK, I just have to offer this:

Hayling Island?

[Arneb]

Orkney is in the North-Eastern quadrant of the world! :surprised

Sorry :doh:. Still, in terms of distance, Orkney is closer than anything before. And 3,8 ° W isn't too far off the Northeastern quadrant, isn't it?


Hayling Island?
Sorry, no (by the way, it's in the Northwestern quadrant, too :) )

[pghnative]

(by the way, it's in the Northwestern quadrant, too :) )The island is in both the north western AND north eastern quadrants??? Other than Great Britain, what else satisfies this condition???

[chrissy]

Isle of Skye

[chrissy]

Isle of Skye

[Arneb]

The island is in both the north western AND north eastern quadrants??? Other than Great Britain, what else satisfies this condition???

That referred to mike's suggestion, Hayling island. The clearer version of my sentence would have been "No, it is not Hayling island. Just as Orkney, which I mistakenly had placed in the North-Eastern quadrant but which in reality lies in the North-Western quadrant, Hayling island lies in the North-Western quadrant, too. Thus, Hayling Isalnd clearly violates what we have learned about the island in question (which lies in the North-Eastern quadrant) and thus couldn't have been a candidate".

That better?

It's interesting. This round seems to suffer from an incomplete consideration of what you already know. We recently saw this over at the Ultimate Astronomy Quiz when I was asking for Ithaca Chasma on Tethys. The moment I had summed up the knowledge gathered so far, the solution was there in the next post. So, I'll tell you what you already know, but take it as a hint :).


Island, thinly populated, but with villages.
Lies in a desert belt, or rather "desert belt" ("hint of inverted commas" is what I wrote) of the region.
Was deforested due to salt production a hundred years ago, now has forests again
The island is lifting out of the surrounding waters such that its map outline and its actual appearance on satellite images are markedly different in, for example, Google Earth.
A whale skeleton a few thousand years old was found in the midlle of the island. So the island just wasn't there a few thousand years ago.
These two facts attests to the uplift's high speed and efficiency, too. Folks, you are looking for something flat lifting out of shallow waters. Otherwise, how could the shape change so dramatically that a reasonably current map doesn't match the photo?
The lift is due to postglacial isostatic rebound.
Named after a wind God
Northeastern quadrant of the word.
"Near Asia" is exaggerated, but not by too much.
Orkney was closer than anything suggested before, on the other hand, our island is in the Eastern hemisphere, not the Western one, as Orkney is.
There is a somewhat nebulous connection a member of our esteemed moderator team. (Well really, what could this connection be?:wall: )By criterion 6, Orkney and Skye (Skye is also in the Western hmisphere) are imposssible, as are any other rocky, hilly islands you might come up with.

Added hint: The two most recent suggestions, Hayling and Skye, are not closer to the island we are looking for than Orkney is. In fact, they are both farther away.

Now isn't that something to go on? :)

[mike alexander]

Something Danish? In the Baltic region, I'd guess, then.

[Arneb]

No more hints for now. :)

[geonuc]

Laeso?

[Arneb]

We have a winner! :clap:

Læsø (the island of Lær, a wind god) started to rise from the Kattegatt Baltic in historic times. There is even a memorial stone placed on the spot that first appeared above sea level. Læsø is rising by a whopping 6 mm a year (the Alps only make 4), and you will see the difference between the map and the satellite image immediately. The island is Denmark's most thinly populated municipality.

A strip along the Kattegatt and southern Sweden is called the Danish desert belt, because precipitation is a lot lower there than over the rest of Denmark, let alone Norway.

Læsø salt has been in production again (after a ban at the beginning of the century, when reforestation began) for historical and educational reasons. The salt is extracted from ground water and being touted as "the most expensive salt on Earth".

Interestingly, a relatively simple Google search:
island "desert belt" will give you the English Wikipedia article about Læsø as the fourth result, so you can get all the information you want there :). The tourist bureau home page is also interesting, even though the leaflet is a terrible flash animation.

It's an altogether lovely island (I visited once as a child), and good for beautiful quiz questions.

[geonuc]

Yay!!

Oh. Now I need a question.

A well respected essayist, still living, wrote a book a number of years ago in which he chronicled the exploits of humans with respect to three natural features of the earth. One was a volcano, one a river and the third a mountain range.

Name the volcano, river and mountain range

[mike alexander]

Haemay(?), Atachafalaya, San Gabriels.

You happened to pick one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.

"The Control of Nature", John McPhee.

(edit)

Heimaey.

[geonuc]

Also one of my favorite authors. McPhee knows his geology.

You are correct, of course. :)

The volcano is in Iceland and in 1973 threatened the town's harbor, which would have destroyed their economy. The people fought the lava flow with water, successfully slowing and diverting it. The river section details the enormous efforts to keep the Mississippi River from taking its now-preferred course - down the Atchafalaya. The San Gabriels are documented because of the tremendous problem with mud and rock slides into the expensive homes below. The San Gabriels are the fastest rising mountains in the world, according to McPhee. Because they are not actually getting any taller (or not much), that means the erosion is great.

[mike alexander]

This is a shield volcano, but on land, not in the ocean. In addition to shield-type basaltic flows it has erupted rhyolitic lavas and has collapsed more than once to produce a large caldera. It seems to be a hotspot-type volcano, but is unlike other hotspots. There are many hot springs around, and deep groundwater is over 500F, making it a candidate for production of geothermal power. Presently dormant, but active in near-historical times.

[chrissy]

Belknap shield volcano. Oregon

[chrissy]

Skjaldbreidur shield volcano (west volcanic zone) Iceland.

[chrissy]

Hengill - Iceland

[mike alexander]

First guess best. Another caldera in Oregon with a lake inside (besides Crater Lake).

[chrissy]

Newberry - Oregon :D

[mike alexander]

Ah, that's the one. About 30 miles south of Bend. Thinking of dropping by in the fall when the heat is down and picking up some obsidian.

[chrissy]

cool! can you get me a bit too? I will give you my addi :D please.


ok.

What sea has shrunk by half of its area covered in the 1970's? And give me the reason why?

[mike alexander]

Is it the Aral Sea? If so, rivers were diverted for irrigation, causing it to essentially dry up.

[chrissy]

yeah! :clap:that is the right answer, sorry for the delay my PC crashed on me!!!!!!!!!!!:evil:

[mike alexander]

There was an article about it in Smithsonian Magazine. Unless it was another magazine. Oh, well. But thank you.

This place is a narrow valley. Interestingly, it is located inside another valley, whose name translates into English as, roughly, "Daughter of the Stars." If you ever get to see it you will know why.

[chrissy]

Shenandoah Valley

[mike alexander]

And what valley is inside the Shenandoah Valley? Hint: it's surrounded by a "whole lotta nutten"

[geonuc]

Except for the "Daughter of the Stars" deal, I'd guess Fort Valley.

[mike alexander]

It's Fort Valley, all right. It sits inside the Shenandoah Valley (which is itself a section of the Great Valley of the Appalachians), between the ridges of the Massanutten Mountains. I remember the first time I saw it from the air, just amazing.

The Shenandoah Valley is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. A mosey down Skyline Drive in the autumn is well worth the trip.

Go ahead, geonuc.

[geonuc]

I've been there - it is gorgeous. Using chrissy's guess of Shenandoah, I looked on Google Maps terrain view and it wasn't difficult to find. That's an awesome feature, BTW.

This may be in violation of the spirit of the game, but I think I will defer to my friend chrissy for the next go. She came up with the key clue anyway and I'm just not feeling real imaginitive right now. Sorry.

1000 posts. :eek:

[chrissy]

Congratulations on your 1,000 post my friend.

EEEEEEEEEEK! you want me to do what?

I will go away and ponder a question now.

[chrissy]

Right I have pondered long enough, I hope this is GOOGLE proof.

I require THREE answers to this question.

This is the oldest surviving construction of its type in the world, it was built in 1725-6, I want to know what it is, where it is and the man who built it?

[JMV]

1. Causey Arch, the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge.
2. County Durham, England.
3. Stonemason Ralph Wood.

Is that right?

[chrissy]

Doh!

yes it is, congratulations and your go JMV.

[JMV]

Thanks, chrissy.

A capital of a former great empire, though according to a certain foreign comtemporary, it didn't compare well to some village in Western Europe.

Three-parter: What is the capital of this former empire, who was the foreigner, and to what Western European village did he compare it.

[Arneb]

Just one question: Is the "contemporary" contemporary to the empire, or contemporary top us. And was the "village" a village when the ciy in question was at its height, or is it a village today?

[mike alexander]

City first. Samarkand?

[JMV]

Just one question: Is the "contemporary" contemporary to the empire, or contemporary top us.
Contemporary to the empire.

And was the "village" a village when the ciy in question was at its height, or is it a village today?
It's not a village today. Whether the person in question actually called it a village back then, could be brought into question; there could be translation issues. In the English translation I read, the word village was used. The population was probably several thousands, around ten thousand perhaps.


City first. Samarkand?
No.

[Eroica]

Wild guess:

Khanbaliq, Marco Polo, Venice?

[JMV]

No, but that's a good guess nonetheless.

[Arneb]

Another one: Rome, Julius Caesar, Paris (Lutetia).

[DyerWolf]

Mind if I butt in and make a guess?

I was at first going for a Sir Richard Burton, Mecca angle - but Mecca was never the capital of an empire. (ETA: ... and Duh! Richard Burton wouldn't need translation!)

So perhaps, Pizarro and Cuzca? (Still searching for the compared to city...)

ETA part deux: Although I have a sneaking suspicion the capital might be St Petersburg (seeing as the clue is 'compared to a Western European village...')

[JMV]

No right guesses so far.

[DyerWolf]

Of any answer? Grumble. I really liked the Marco Polo angle.

Back to the salt mines.

[DyerWolf]

Okay, new guess:

William of Rubruck

Karakorum

Saint Denis

Do I get a prize?

[JMV]

Okay, new guess:

William of Rubruck

Karakorum

Saint Denis

Do I get a prize?
Woo hoo! We have a winner! :clap:

Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, before Xanadu and before Khanbaliq. William of Rubruck was a Franciscan missionary and was one of the first Europeans to visit Karakorum. He described the city thus:

Of the city of Caracarum you must know that, exclusive of the palace of the Chan, it is not as big as the [J: not as fine as the] village of Saint Denis, and the monastery of Saint Denis is ten times larger than the palace [J: is worth ten of the palace]. There are two quarters in it; one of the Saracens in which are the markets, and where a great many Tartars gather on account of the court, which is always near this (city), and on account of the great number of ambassadors; the other is the quarter of the Cathayans, all of whom are artisans. Besides these quarters there are great palaces, which are for the secretaries of the court. There are there twelve idol temples of different nations, two mahummeries [mosques] in which is cried the law of Machomet, and one church of Christians in the extreme end of the city. The city is surrounded by a mud wall and has four gates. At the eastern is sold millet and other kinds of grain, which, however, is rarely brought there; at the western one, sheep and goats are sold; at the southern, oxen and carts are sold; at the northern, horses are sold.
William of Rubruck's Account of the Mongols (http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html)

[DyerWolf]

Okay, here's the next puzzle:

My name is deceptive;
I've got classes from 2-4 (sometimes 4-6);
I run against expectation;
You can base your answers on these clues,
but don't jump to conclusions...

What (and where) am I?

[DyerWolf]

... NO replies?
... No guesses?
... No insults?

Hmmm...:think:

[geonuc]

No insults?
If you insist.

Moron. If brains were dynamite, you couldn't blow your nose.

Happy now? :)

[geonuc]

But seriously, you have me completely stumped. But that's not hard to do. The previous post more aptly describes me, I think.

[DyerWolf]

Ah, insults. What would life be like if we were namby-pamby nice to each other all the time (yawns).

Okay - Hint: its in the United States.

[Eroica]

My name is deceptive;
I've got classes from 2-4 (sometimes 4-6);
I run against expectation;
You can base your answers on these clues,
but don't jump to conclusions...

What (and where) am I?
Mississippi?

[DyerWolf]

Nope, but you're heading in the right direction...

I'll give another hint: It is located to the right of that river.

[DyerWolf]

I guess I could throw out a raft of other clues - if everyone playing is up the creek without a paddle...

Any other guesses?










(C'mon I worked on that riddle for at least 3 1/2 minutes!:lol:)

[pghnative]

Hmmm ... for rivers east of the Mississippi (assuming that is the target) I can think of one (Lehigh River) with a same-named university (meeting the classes clue, maybe) and another (Monongahela, lower right in my avatar) that "runs counter to expectations" (ie, it flows north).

Looking in google, the Tennessee river (also matching a large university name) also flows north.

finally, there is also a north flowing river named "Cheat", which is of course deceptive, per the first clue.

[DyerWolf]

Excellent job picking apart the riddle!

- however you've not (yet) identified the correct river, and one of your guesses (as to the meaning of the clue) is incorrect.

[geonuc]

The New River, in West Virginia.

- BASE Jumping - the New River Gorge bridge hosts the largest event in the world
- one of the oldest rivers in North America, despite the name (deceptive)
- the New River Gorge has whitewater rapids, which are categorized by classes
- the river runs north

[DyerWolf]

The New River, in West Virginia.

- BASE Jumping - the New River Gorge bridge hosts the largest event in the world
- one of the oldest rivers in North America, despite the name (deceptive)
- the New River Gorge has whitewater rapids, which are categorized by classes
- the river runs north

DingDingDingDing Ding! We have a winner!

People jump off this bridge. (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2333/2048274376_039d4a213c.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/23056599%40N00/2048274376&h=375&w=500&sz=160&hl=en&start=27&um=1&usg=__Gm0WNxDSTsItUjtllesKK8tJ05M=&tbnid=t7THbRdcsIfWEM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnew%2Briver%2Bbase%2Bjump%26start%3D2 0%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN) (See this video.) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GOPLedjZQo&feature=related)

Even though you can only jump off the bridge one day a year (guess what the name of the event is!?!) you can still challenge yourselves with the white water. (http://www.new-river-white-water-rafting.com/images/Rafters-under-NRGB-crop.jpg)

and


The New River is, ironically, one of the oldest rivers in the United States. It is considered by some geologists to be possibly one of the oldest rivers in the world, between 10 million and 360 million years old.
(Wiki)


For the science minded reader - there is this comment (http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/geology/geoles01.htm) on the geology.

And of course, the river runs south to north, bucking the popular trend among rivers to generally flow north to south...

Good job geonuc!

[geonuc]

Thanks! Good puzzle. I pondered a long time before I figured out what you meant by the last line.

Drat. Now I have to come up with something. I'll get back with y'all.

[geonuc]

Piece of cake, this one.

Where is this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2785507516_3bda23b68e.jpg?v=0

[mike alexander]

If it's not Crater Lake, Oregon, it should be.

[geonuc]

If it's not Crater Lake, Oregon, it should be.
LOL. Don't be envious - Crater Lake is spectacular in its own right. But no, this isn't Crater Lake. That wet looking thing to left in the photo is a lake, however. The locals refer to it by a different term.

[geonuc]

Time for a hint.

The geologic feature you see in the photograph was formed by glaciers. Two glaciers, in fact.

[jokergirl]

WAG - New zealand?

[geonuc]

WAG - New zealand?
Nope, sorry. But New Zealand shares an important geographic characteristic with the place I'm looking for.

[jokergirl]

Hmm *uses google-fu*

Is it the same place as this photo?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/193.jpg

;)

[geonuc]

Sure looks like it.

I assume you can put a name to it now? :)

[DyerWolf]

Tarnation!

I'm having a hard time with this one...

Any chance they make Scotch nearby?

[DyerWolf]

Having performed a little Google-fu of my own (and disected Flickr)

Allow me to hazard the following guess...

Red Tarn


Red Tarn is a small lake in the eastern region of the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It is high up on the eastern flank of Helvellyn, beneath Striding Edge and Catstye Cam.

(source=wiki)


View from Helvellyn?

(BTW - credit should go to Joker Girl - I just used her technique and poached her answer...)

[geonuc]

Tarnation!

I'm having a hard time with this one...

Any chance they make Scotch nearby?
Yeah, tarnation. :)

Not sure where all the Scotch in the world is made, but this place is not in Scotland.

[DyerWolf]

How was the "Red Tarn" guess tho?

(I realize now that is in Olde AEnglaland)

[geonuc]

Having performed a little Google-fu of my own (and disected Flickr)

Allow me to hazard the following guess...

Red Tarn



View from Helvellyn?

(BTW - credit should go to Joker Girl - I just used her technique and poached her answer...)
Yes, it is the view from Helvellyn. I was looking for the name of the feature, but I guess I didn't specify that.

Striding Edge.

Your go, unless jokergirl makes a claim.

[DyerWolf]

In fairness, I think Jokergirl gets it...

Fun search, tho - and I just found a new place to add to my "Places to hike" list.

[geonuc]

I'd love to hike that area.

Full disclosure - chrissy sent me that photo, which is why she was barred from guessing. :)

[jokergirl]

Yup, the picture I posted was taken from the wiki page about the tarn.

I'll post one then...

http://joker.mirar.org/P?loc=fotojunk/encounter.jpg&get=m

Where is this?
Bonus: And who lived there originally?

Hint: The photo was not taken from an airplane or the like.

;)

[geonuc]

Yup, the picture I posted was taken from the wiki page about the tarn.
But just for the record, you never identified what was in the photo or where it was (and it was the ridge I was going for, not the tarn).

No big deal. :)

[DyerWolf]

Galway?

Some poet or another?

[jokergirl]

No, everybody else identified it while I was away training so I didn't get to write it ;)

[jokergirl]

Galway?

Some poet or another?

No, and no.

;)

[DyerWolf]

Well that narrows it down.

[chrissy]

I am soooooooo tempted to answer this one! :)

[chrissy]

As I have climbed that beast.

[geonuc]

I am soooooooo tempted to answer this one! :)
What's holding you back? You do realize we're on the next question, right?

[chrissy]

nope! baut is grinding to a stop, I am lucky I got back to see the next question and answer you my friend. Kept getting kicked of tonight.

[jokergirl]

Maybe it will work better now? Curious to see if you are right, Chrissy.

;)

[DyerWolf]

Perhaps a hint?

[Arneb]

OK, I thought this was already over - but since noone's stepping in, I'll venture

Striding Edge (http://www.lake-district-attractions.co.uk/striding-edge-helvellyn.html) in the Lake District, leading up to Helvellyn (3rd highest mountain in England, at 950 m).

[chrissy]

you have done it like I have Arneb, they are on a different question now, but it is right. jokergirl has posed a question. :)

[jokergirl]

The picture was taken from the major landmark in this town, which is not a tower.
I might post a zoomed-out version later.

;)

[Arneb]

you have done it like I have Arneb, they are on a different question now, but it is right. jokergirl has posed a question. :)
:wall::wall::wall:

[geonuc]

I'm curious as to what the answer is to the current question. Anyone have any ideas?

[jokergirl]

I think a hint is in order.

My picture on the National Costume thread was taken on the same occasion, from the same landmark.
I still might have to post something less obscure, I guess...

;)

[geonuc]

jokergirl, your photo of the landmark we're supposed to identify seems to have vaporized.

And I was sooo close to getting it! ;)

[geonuc]

jokergirl, your photo of the landmark we're supposed to identify seems to have vaporized.

And I was sooo close to getting it! ;)
... and it's back. Probably it was there all along and was hallucinating.

I still don't know where the dang place is, though. :(

[Eroica]

Is it in Sweden?

[geonuc]

My guess is Austria.

[hhEb09'1]

My guess is Austria.Because of the dirndl, right?

[geonuc]

Because of the dirndl, right?
Yep, at least in part.

[jokergirl]

Austria is correct. Does that narrow it down? :D

[geonuc]

Austria is correct. Does that narrow it down? :D
Not so much for me, as I had it narrowed down to Austria anyway. And I've searched and searched to no avail. :(

[Eroica]

It was taken from the Hohensalzburg Castle in Salzburg, Austria. I have no idea who lived there. I don't think it was Mozart.

[Edit: Apparently it is the executioner's house!]

[geonuc]

Has Eroica arrived at the right answer?

[jokergirl]

It was taken from the Hohensalzburg Castle in Salzburg, Austria. I have no idea who lived there. I don't think it was Mozart.

[Edit: Apparently it is the executioner's house!]


CORRECT!

(thanks for the reminder, geonuc - I had assumed the thread had vanished somewhere in the bowels of fun'n'games.)

;)

[geonuc]

CORRECT!

(thanks for the reminder, geonuc - I had assumed the thread had vanished somewhere in the bowels of fun'n'games.)

;)
You're welcome. :)

[Eroica]

What or where is this?

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2875/geographyquizmq0.th.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=geographyquizmq0.jpg)

[jokergirl]

What or where is this?

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2875/geographyquizmq0.th.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=geographyquizmq0.jpg)



Trees! And a mountain! :D

Uh... Earth!

...oh, you wanted details?

;)

[Arneb]

Snowdon, Wales?

[chrissy]

Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy

*shrugs*

[Joe Boy]

Montana, USA?

[Eroica]

No correct answers so far, and no correct countries.

[geonuc]

No correct answers so far, and no correct countries.
But jokergirl is on to something by suggesting Earth, right? :p

[pghnative]

No correct answers so far, and no correct countries. any correct continents? [/shameless hint request mode]

[Eroica]

Yes, two guesses were in the right continent.

[jokergirl]

That would place it in Europe... hmm strange, I'd have said the trees there looked decidedly newworldish.

;)

[Arneb]

Pico, Azores?

[Eroica]

Not the Azores, though it is on a European island.

[Jay200MPH]

Okay, Carrauntoohil in Ireland?

[Eroica]

Not Carrauntoohil, but at least we're in the right country now!

[Eroica]

Hint #1: It has been mistaken for an extinct volcano, but it is actually made of quartzite from the Cambrian Era which has proved to be more resistant to erosion than the surrounding granite of Devonian age.

Hint #2: In terms of altitude it is not really a mountain, though it does qualify as a marilyn.

Hint #3: Its GI is a bit on the heavy size!

[Eroica]

If anyone is still interested, I thought my third hint (which is tongue-in-cheek) gave it away...

[PraedSt]

I'm game, but what does GI mean?

[JMV]

Great Sugar Loaf or Big Sugar Loaf?

[Eroica]

Great Sugar Loaf or Big Sugar Loaf?:clap: The Great Sugar Loaf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sugar_Loaf) is correct!

[Eroica]

I'm game, but what does GI mean?
Glycaemic Index (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycaemic_index). :)

[JMV]

What's this and where?

[PraedSt]

Somewhere in Asia?

[chrissy]

Erosion formations, Cedar Pass. Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA

[JMV]

Erosion formations, Cedar Pass. Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USANo.

[PraedSt]

Oh I see. This is not 20 questions. You can't narrow the field. :(

[JMV]

Oh I see. This is not 20 questions. You can't narrow the field. :(
Oh I can, but I didn't want to narrow it down so much so soon. I can give a hint: the area was an ancient floodplain and the different colors represent different climate conditions in which the layers were formed. The red layers are rich iron oxides and were formed in hot and humid conditions. The black plotches are brown coal and were formed from ancient vegetation. Generally the rocks were formed from fine grained soil with relatively high water content.

[chrissy]

I was thinking the Grand Canyon!

[JMV]

I was thinking the Grand Canyon!
No, but yours haven't been bad guesses so far. Keep at it.

[crosscountry]

Painted Desert?

[PraedSt]

Ooo...good guess Crosscountry.

[crosscountry]

we'll see how good. It's a nice place to visit by the way.

[JMV]

Painted Desert?
That is indeed a good guess, but not what I'm looking for. You're on the right track though.
Perhaps another hint: it's not in Arizona.

[Gruesome]

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico?

[JMV]

Nope.

[mike alexander]

The Painted Hills, out near John Day in Oregon?

[JMV]

That's right. :clap:
Painted Hills (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Hills)

[mike alexander]

Beautiful country out there. And the John Day fossil beds are neat, too.

Some quite different geology. Hint: the formation is named for the location. Either one wins.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/264/disconformity2qn6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[mike alexander]

Hint 2: That is a disconformity about halfway down the picture, between two beddings of shale.

[Arneb]

Cleveland Shale (http://www.newarkcampus.org/professional/osu/faculty/jstjohn/Ohio%20Shale/Cleveland%20Shale%201%20-%20Euclid%20Creek.htm)

[mike alexander]

Arneb has it!

In one of those very odd coincidences I ran across that picture of the Cleveland Shale (down in Euclid Creek, east of Cleveland, Ohio) and realized it was less than a mile from where I grew up. There was a small branch creek at the end of my street where all the kids went that also cuts through the Shale. I remember prowling around that ravine fifty years ago, finding concretions in the shale blocks.

Take it away, Arneb.

[Arneb]

Thanks, mike.

You are one of those crazy sailing freaks. You rent your boat in a smoky city of 110.000, already the largest city for thousands of miles. After rounding a few capes, you find open and cold water in a strait that is as broad as a strait ever will be and is named for a country far, far away (although the naming has a tenuous connection to one of the land masses bordering the strait). Weathering severe storms under a leaden sky, you head into ever colder waters. After more than 400 nm of straight ahead sailing you reach a piece of land which you can't land on because there is neither a natural nor an artificial harbour, and the wind...well. Don't even try seeing the volcano. But you haven't even made half of your journey. Wind and all sorts of precipitation in various states of freeze and unfreeze are steadily picking up, exactly the way temperatures aren't.

Many cold days (hey, it's a lot warmer than, say, three thousand nm to the left) later you admire assorted fjordworks before you head into port at another largest city, although this one's even smaller.

And this is suppoded to be fun?

Which journey did I just describe?

[hhEb09'1]

After more than 400 nm of straight ahead sailingNot Metric, right? :)

[chrissy]

I am thinking of a journey made by Eric the Red.
Erik the Red - Leif Eriksson's father.
In the 960s Erik the Red, a fiery Norwegian, was exiled from his home in Norway. He went to Iceland, where he married Thjodhildur. He was later banished from there for three years. Erik headed west and discovered a land with an inviting fjord landscape and fertile, green valleys. He was greatly impressed by the land's resources, and he returned to Iceland and spoke about this land, which he called "the green land".
In 986 he set out from Iceland at the head of 25 ships, heading for Greenland. There were 500 men and women on board. Of the 25 ships only 14 reached their destination.
The Vikings founded Brattahlid and the two hamlets of Vesterbygden and Østerbygden. Around the year 1000 the population was approx. 3,000, living in 300-400 farms. This small community survived for 500 years. Why they disappeared is still a great mystery.

Viking settlement in Newfoundland.
The oldest known European colony in the New World is the Viking settlement of L'Anse-aux-Meadows in northwest Newfoundland, Canada. After excavations of 2,400 Viking objects there is no longer any doubt that the Vikings discovered America long before Columbus.

[Moose]

Chrissy and I discussed this one and each think we figured roughly half of it. Consider this a joint answer:

You left Reykjavik, coasted along the southern coast of Greenland, and ended up in St John's, Newfoundland, following (approximately) one of the voyages of Erik the Red, first modern European to discover North America. Beating Chris to the honor by several hundred years.

[JMV]

I was thinking he left from Reykjavik, passed the Beerenberg volcano on Jan Mayen Island and reached Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

[Eroica]

I'd have to agree with JMV. Sounds like he left Reykjavik, sailed clockwise around western Iceland into the Denmark Strait, passed Jan Mayen, reaching Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

The reference to its being warmer than 3000 nm to the left suggests that you are travelling east.

[Arneb]

JMV is the winner. :clap:

Of course, no metric. Even European ships measure in nautical miles. :)

"Smoky" city refers to Rejkjavik meaning "smoky bay" in Icelandic.

The 300 nm to the West reference is somewhat arbitrary and was meant to lead you to the fact that you are travelling along the Gulf Stream. You are travelling roughly North, so 3000 nm to the West is somewhere in Canada where the cold at the same latitude is certainly much worse. The Wikipedia article on Svalbard mentions it wouldn't be remotely habitable if it weren't for the Gulf Stream.

I chose this particular journey because last year I read a report of a hobby sailor actually doing this very tour...for fun.

[JMV]

Thank you, Arneb.

Another picture question:
What and where?

[chrissy]

Anak Krakatau island, volcano. :D

Indonesia

[JMV]

No.

[crosscountry]

Azores